Counterterrorism

4 Convicted in Islamic State Killing of French Priest

Four men were convicted in Paris Wednesday of terrorist conspiracy after the murder of a Catholic priest in a Normandy church in 2016, an attack claimed by the Islamic State group. The four were handed sentences of between eight years and life in prison…

Texas Man Found Guilty by Jury of Felony Charges for Actions Related to Capitol Breach

A Texas man was found guilty today by a federal jury of civil disorder, obstruction of justice, and other felony charges for his actions before, during, and after the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. His and others’ actions disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress…

Military & Defense

Iran says Israel Will Pay for Syria Attack that Killed 2 Revolutionary Guards

Iran said on Wednesday that an Israeli air strike in Syria that killed four people including two Iranian Revolutionary Guards officers would be avenged. Syrian state media said the other two victims of Monday's strike on Damascus were civilians, while the British-based Syrian…

Russian Mercenaries Have Landed in West Africa, Pushing Putin’s Goals as Kremlin is Increasingly Isolated

They wear army fatigues with no flag and carry Kalashnikov assault rifles. They guard the presidential palace and track extremists in the scrubland. Hundreds of Russian mercenaries have landed here over the last three months, according to regional and Western officials…

Cybersecurity

CISA Updates Conti Ransomware Alert with Nearly 100 Domain Names

The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has updated the alert on Conti ransomware with indicators of compromise (IoCs) consisting of close to 100 domain names used in malicious operations. Originally published on September 22, 2021…

EXCLUSIVE BNP Paribas bars Russia-based staff from computer systems as cyber attack fears grow

France's largest bank BNP Paribas has cut off its Russia-based workforce from its internal computer systems as it seeks to bolster its defences against any potential cyber attack, a source with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters. The French lender, believed to be the first…

Counterintelligence & Espionage

Cyber Espionage is Key to Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine. The International Community is Fighting Back

Russia’s war on Ukraine is being fought not only with bombs but with bytes as cyber warfare plays an increasingly major role in the invasion. Rather than boots being sent on the ground, international aid is coming in the shape of cyber support. It was feared that Russian…

Spanish Journalist Denies Spying for Russia

Pablo González is a Spanish journalist also known by his Russian name, Pavel Rubtsov.
His Spanish-Russian citizenship might explain the reason for his current whereabouts: a Polish prison cell on accusations of spying for Russian intelligence. If convicted, he could…

Transnational Organized Crime

Serbian Gang Leader Offers to Testify on Top Crime Cases

Veljko Belivuk, known as “Velja Nevolja” (“Velja the Trouble”), a leader of the Janjicari, (Janissaries) a notorious so-called football fan group known for its ties to the ruling Serbian Progressive Party, on Tuesday offered to be a witness in several high-profile crime cases…

Woman Pleads Guilty After ICE HSI Investigation Uncovers Her Role in Arranging Deadly Human Smuggling Attempt

An investigation conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Houston and the Victoria (Texas) Police Department led to a South Texas woman pleading guilty Thursday for her role in arranging a human smuggling…